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The truth must be known but without falling prey; filing cases is unending -PM Ranil

(Lanka-e-News -29.Sep.2015, 6.30PM) The truth must be known , but without falling prey . Simply by filing cases ,  national unity cannot be accomplished , and filing action can be unending , Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said , when addressing a  function yesterday(28) after nationalizing the refurbished Hyde park . The culture of impunity enjoyed by wrongdoers must be changed. 

The P.M. made these comments when elaborating on the reconciliation  processes upon which currently  there is  national and international focus .

''On 8 th January  , this situation underwent a complete change. Maithripala Sirisena was appointed as president to re build this country. Under him as president we launched on a new journey. Our new efforts were not confined to filing cases only. By filing cases , national unity cannot be achieved. Filing cases is unending,’ Ranil pointed out.

It is the LTTE and  Prabhakaran who  should be held more  responsible for the ethnic war .There are many who worked alongside him no longer living. If they are living , action can be filed against the organization. But filing action against only one side will give rise to the question , by that can  national amity be achieved? In certain instances , cases have to be filed.

Nevertheless , we are giving  priority and precedence to national unity. If unity is to be established , reconciliation is necessary. At the same time everyone must have an opportunity to know the truth. After knowing the truth , what should be done is , as swiftly as possible get together. By filing cases alone  reconciliation cannot be reached.

Firstly , a mechanism must be created to search the truth. Towards this end , three Institutions have been established. The first being the office pertaining to disappearances. The second is the special legal office to trace and identify  the incidents during the war. 

Both these Institutions will be operating within the legal framework of SL. After the special legal office makes a decision , what will be  next ?  

Firstly ,  that has to be presented to the Truth commission for its verdict. Through the  truth commission the truth shall be identified. With that our preliminary round is over.  Thereafter , the religious leaders will participate to give counsel to the Truth Commission.

 The religious group will comprise Mahanayakes, Christian clergy including the Cardinal , Muslim and Hindu religious chiefs. At this stage it is the tradition of compassion which forms the base.  Then we search how a compassionate solution can be secured.

In other countries such a system did not operate. In foreign countries there were many Truth commissions, but none of them were subjected to a council with religious heads for sympathetic consideration. Hence , SL’s Truth Commission is exclusive.

Dictator Asoka after the Kalinga war , realized that dictatorial reign should be subordinated to  the sermon on Buddha dhamma. Accordingly , all the  religious leaders have united on behalf of the Truth commission today. We should give precedence to Truth and reconciliation .

The Commission can decide whether there are grounds to file cases. In this regard there is the local legal apparatus. All these must be approved  legally and by parliament. If judges of the commonwealth and other investigators are coming here , all of them too  will have to submit to the laws of the country.

After the parliament approval is obtained , all the procedures thereafter will be strictly  in accord with the SL constitution. Nothing will be in contravention of the constitution. The sovereign power is with the people. The international agreements signed with other countries too should be operative subject to our laws. The Institutions to be established  pertaining to them will also be under our SL  laws.

This means today the sovereignty of the people has triumphed. This victory is because of the government between the UNP and SLFP under president Maithripala Sirisena. We express our gratitude to all members of the constituent parties of the national government . Today , no race , Sinhala, Tamil or  Muslim , or any member of the forces need harbor any fear , and there is no cause for such fear.

We ought to know the truth. Justice and  reconciliation should be  established. But that does not mean by that we should become the hunted . We are beholden to  all the countries that accepted the SL  resolutions .''

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by     (2015-09-29 13:11:33)

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